Springsure Creek coal mine plan gets environmental nod

The State Government has approved the environmental impact statement for the controversial Springsure Creek mine coal project, south-west of Rockhampton, in central Queensland.

Bandanna Energy wants to develop the Springsure Creek mine in an area declared prime agricultural land.

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has issued a report saying the project is considered suitable to proceed to the next stage of approval.

The company now needs to submit an environment management plan.

Bandanna Energy managing director Michael Gray says the company hopes to be able to start production at Springsure Creek in mid-2015.

Mr Gray says the company will now prepare an environmental management plan.

"The environmental management plan is actually a key working document, which includes all the key strategies that we need to undertake on a day-by-day basis," he said.

"Then as part of that, the environmental licence and the environmental authority is the key document that we get measured against, and that includes specific conditions about noise levels, water monitoring, all those sort of key activities that are required."